My best friend and I are always at loggerheads over our breakfast choices when eating out.
While she’s strictly savoury, and rarely wavers from her usual “avocado on toast with a side of crispy bacon, please,” I just can’t see past sweeter options like muesli, porridge, fruit toast, or a delicious banoffee mascarpone sandwich like this one below.
breakfast at St Kilda Dispensary – highly recommended
Many people base their menu choices off what they wouldn’t/couldn’t make at home. I could, and do (most days) make a selection off my own breakfast menu consisting of these options (minus the banoffee sandwich), but I love the interesting ingredient choices and ways I find them presented when eating out. And anyway, I happen to know said best friend makes a similar breakfast sans bacon every morning at home.
I love a bircher muesli. Recently another friend of mine let me know that it was Maximilian Bircher-Benner I had to think for this; as the Swiss physician created the concept of bircher muesli after recommending his patients eat more raw fruits, vegetables and nuts for good health.
As the weather is starting to warm up, and my month of clinical placement has begun (eek!), I thought I would make a big bowl of bircher muesli to keep in the fridge. Well, it’s amazing. So here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 4 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 4 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup walnut halves (or any preferred nuts)
- 4 tbsp dried cranberries
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 apple, grated or sliced using a mandolin (being very careful not to also slice your finger)
- Around 1 cup milk of your choice (can also use apple or orange juice)
- ½ cup natural yoghurt
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
- Combine all of the dry ingredients, then add the grated apple, milk, yoghurt and vanilla extract. Combine well, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning it’s ready to go, and can be served with extra yoghurt and fruit. This should serve around 6, depending on your serving size.
| Bircher Muesli | ||
| NUTRITION INFORMATION | ||
| Servings: 6 | ||
| Serving size: 160g | ||
| Average Quantity per Serving | Average Quantity per 100g | |
| ENERGY | 1430kJ (343Cal) | 896kJ(Cal) |
| PROTEIN | 12.3g | 7.6g |
| FAT, TOTAL | 16.2g | 10.1g |
| – SATURATED | 2.3g | 1.5g |
| CARBOHYDRATE | 34.6g | 21.6g |
| – SUGARS | 12.0g | 7.5g |
| DIETARY FIBRE | 6.3g | 3.9g |
| SODIUM | 42mg | 26mg |
- Going against the grain – the fear of all things carby
- Raw milk – What it is and why it shouldn’t be consumed
Tags: Bircher Muesli, breakfast, breakfast choices, breakfast menu, carbohydrates, crispy bacon, dairy, diet, dietary fibre, fibre, food, Maximilian Bircher-Benner, nutrition, oats
Felicity Curtain 
Yum! Will have to give this a try.
Good luck on placement! Catch up soon 🙂